#14/17 Frostburg (7-1, 6-1 NJAC) vs Kean (4-4, 4-3 NJAC)
Frostburg leads the NJAC in scoring offense and total offense
Bobcat Stadium I Senior Day
Saturday, November 4 I 1:00 pm
Admission is Free!
Live Video I
Live Stats
Directions to Frostburg
Frostburg Game Notes
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Setting the Scene
The 14th-ranked Bobcats return home to celebrate Senior Day against Kean on Saturday in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) matchup set for 1:00 p.m. Frostburg (7-1, 6-1) has reeled off three-straight wins and is fresh off a 35-3 triumph over Southern Virginia last week.
Frostburg continued its domination in the win over Southern Virginia with 408 yards of total offense. Junior wideout Sergio Andino caught a pair of touchdowns in the win.
Kean (4-4, 4-3) put together an impressive team effort in a 27-7 victory over Christopher Newport last week. The Cougars scored 17 unanswered points in the first quarter and quarterback Charles App completed 21 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, the Cougars were led by linebacker Daren Hungerford, who recorded a game-high nine tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss.
Last season the Bobcats took care of business on the road with a 25-18 win over Kean. Junior running back Jamaal Morant scored the game-winning touchdown on a two-yard plunge early in the fourth quarter.
The game will be broadcast live on the Bobcat Sports Network. You can follow all the action by logging onto frostburgsports.com/live.
The Series
Today's matchup between Frostburg and Kean is the fourth between the two schools and the Bobcats lead the series 2-1.
Frostburg has won the two meetings since joining the league prior to the 2015 season. In '15, Frostburg dropped the Cougars 29-15 at Bobcat Stadium, while last fall, FSU went to Union, N.J. and posted a 25-18 victory.
The first meeting between the two schools came in 1994 in an ECAC Bowl Game. FSU entered the matchup that year at 8-1-1, but the Cougars rolled to a 41-7 win.
With a win over KU, Frostburg will be a perfect 10-0 against schools from New Jersey over the last two seasons.
Scouting Kean
Kean (4-4, 4-3) enters Saturday's matchup as a winner of two straight, including last week's 27-7 victory over Christopher Newport. The Cougars are under the direction of head coach Dan Garrett and were selected as the dark horse selection in the 2017 NJAC Preseason Poll.
Kean is playing some of its best football in 2017 after losing three of the first four games to begin the year. Since then, the Cougars have won three of its last four, collecting wins over William Paterson (56-0), The College of New Jersey (26-3) and Christopher Newport (27-7).
Kean is around the middle of the pack in most statistical categories, but lead the league in passing defense, allowing just 130.1 yards/game. The Cougars also rank fourth in scoring offense (22.8), fourth in scoring defense (15.0), fifth in total offense (311.4), fourth in total defense (259.2) and third in time of possession (31:41).
Senior linebacker Darin Hungerford, a D3football.com Preseason First-Team All-American, is among the best defensive players in the country. Hungerford is 19th in DIII in tackles/game (11.3), 10th in tackles for loss (1.9) and ranks fifth in the NJAC in sacks (6.0).
The Cougars are led offensively by running back Brian Matthews, who ranks second in the league in rushing. Matthews has ran for 679 yards and five touchdowns and averages 84.9 yards/game. Quarterback Charles App is completing nearly 65% of his passes for 1,356 yards and 11 touchdowns. Ben Guarino leads the Cougars receiving corps with 27 receptions for 380 yards and three touchdowns.
Kean returns home for its regular season finale next Saturday against Rowan at 1:00 p.m.
Scouting Frostburg
Frostburg collected its third-straight win on October 27 with a 35-3 road victory at Southern Virginia. The Bobcats moved to 14th in the D3football.com Top 25 Poll and are 17th in the AFCA Coaches Poll. Fourth-year head coach DeLane Fitzgerald enters the conference matchup with a 27-12 (.692) career record as the coach of the Bobcats, including a 17-2 (.894) mark since 2016.
The Bobcats have rolled through their last three opponents, outscoring them 156-13 while averaging nearly 500 yards in offense per game. Frostburg scored touchdowns on its first four possessions and limited the Knights to just three points. First-year defensive tackle Zach Strand had a breakout performance, posting a career-high five tackles behind four solo stops. He added 3.5 tackles for loss with1.5 sacks and ranks sixth in the league in total sacks this fall (5.5).
Frostburg features a dynamic rushing attack, paced by junior running back Jamaal Morant, with 523 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Junior wide receiver Sergio Andino has caught two touchdowns in each of the last three contests and enters Saturday with the most touchdown receptions in the NJAC (7).
Defensively, senior defensive lineman Niles Scott is second in the league in sacks (9.0) and ranks fourth in tackles for loss with 13.5. Junior defensive back Josh Scales leads the team in tackles (45) and is tied for the team lead in fumble recoveries (2).
The Bobcats lead the conference in scoring offense (39.9), total offense (449.2), first downs (22.5), third down conversions (50%), time of possession (33:27) and rushing defense (64.9).
The Bobcats will wrap up the regular season next week with a conference road game at Salisbury for the 19th Annual Regents Cup.
Pulling Rank
Frostburg moved up in both major polls that were released Monday as the Bobcats are 14th in the D3football.com Top 25 Week 9 Poll and are now 17th in the AFCA Coaches Poll.
Following its big 35-3 win over Southern Virginia, the Bobcats moved up one spot in the D3football.com poll.
Two weeks ago, the Bobcats were ranked 15th and they again sit one spot behind No. 13 Wesley. FSU is ranked ahead of both Washington & Jefferson (15th) and Case Western Reserve (16th), despite both teams being undefeated.
In the AFCA poll, Frostburg was 18th a week ago and sits behind No. 16 Case Western.
The NCAA released the first regional rankings of the 2017 season on Wednesday and the Bobcats are ranked fifth, one spot behind Wesley. The NCAA Regional Rankings are used to determine selections and seedings for the NCAA Division III National Championships that will be announced on Sunday, Nov. 12.
The Bobcats were ranked 17th in the D3football.com preseason poll and they have spent the entire season ranked inside the top 20.
The Bobcats were also ranked 15th in the Street & Smith's Preseason Poll, 16th according to the Lindy's Poll and were tabbed 19th in the College Football Yearbook Preseason Poll.
FSU was picked to finish second in the NJAC and received two first-place votes.
The Bobcats garnered plenty of national attention leading up to the 2017 season, ranking 15th in the Street & Smith's Preseason Poll, 16th according to the Lindy's Poll and 19th in the College Football Yearbook Preseason Poll.
FSU was picked to finish second in the NJAC and received two first-place votes.
Head Coach DeLane Fitzgerald
DeLane Fitzgerald is in his fourth season at the helm of the Frostburg State football program in 2017 and his impact has been immediate. The Bobcats finished 4-6 overall in '14, posted a 6-4 mark in 2015 and rolled to an impressive 10-1 overall mark a year ago. FSU capped the '16 season with nine-straight wins, a share of the NJAC Title, the 18th Annual Regents Cup trophy and the Asa S. Bushnell Bowl Game trophy.
Frostburg hasn't just improved in the win/loss column, but the team GPA has improved every semester since Fitzgerald became head coach. Fitzgerald and his staff also see vast improvements in the weight room and around campus and in the town of Frostburg in terms of volunteer hours.
On the field, the Bobcats posted some of the most impressive numbers last fall. The FSU defense finished ninth nationally in total defense after holding opponents to just 240.6 yards per game. The Bobcats also led the nation in tackles for loss per game (10.7), and allowed just 13 points per game, good for the sixth-best scoring defense in Division III.
Fitzgerald also placed an emphasis in special teams since the day of his arrival at Frostburg. Following the '14 season, the Bobcats finished 17th in the nation in blocked kicks (6) and they finished 18th following the '15 campaign (6). FSU finished the 2015 season ranked 11th in the country in punt returns (15.63) and 15th in kickoff return defense (14.95). Last season, the Bobcats finished first in the NJAC and 12th nationally in blocked kicks.
Through seven games this fall, the Bobcats are fifth in DIII in rushing defense (52.6), fourth in blocked punts (3) and third in kickoff returns (30.00). The Bobcats are also fourth in the nation in team tackles for loss (10.3) and ninth in sacks (3.71).
Fitzgerald's Weekly Quotes
"Our football program has a lot to play for this week; all the goals that we set for ourselves in preseason are still in front of us. We've had a great week of preparation and I expect our coaches and players to be very motivated on Saturday. Should be a great game!"
On Kean's coaching staff...
"Dan Garrett and the Kean coaching staff do a great job coaching and getting their players ready to play each week. Kean has finished strong the last two seasons, and this fall is no different. Kean's football team will be ready to play on Saturday and our football team has to match their energy"
On Kean's offense and defense...
"Kean runs a slow-huddle multiple spread offense led by #4 QB Charles App, #23 RB Brian Matthews and #87 WR Ben Guarino. App runs the Kean offense as well as any quarterback in the conference and we must contain him on Saturday to be successful."
"Kean runs a 4-3 attacking style defense led by #52 MLB Darin Hungerford, #7 DT Marquiz Oliver and #5 DB David Jimerson II.
Hungerford is the key to Kean's defense and he has been all season; he is a preseason All-American with 89 tackles and 6 sacks already this fall. They go as #52 goes."
On the matchup...
"Turnovers, special teams and a "chop" like mentality for three hours on Saturday are going to determine who's successful in this game"
A Win Would...
- Lift the Bobcats to 263-280-8 overall in 56 seasons
- Land Fitzgerald his 28th victory at the helm of Frostburg
- Be the third-straight win over Kean
- Be the 10th-straight win over a school from New Jersey
- Hand Frostburg its 10th win at Bobcat Stadium in the last 11 games
Speaking of the NJAC
All 10 NJAC schools are in action this weekend and all five games are on Saturday afternoon.
Saturday, November 4
Salisbury at Wesley - Noon
Kean at Frostburg - 1:00 pm
TCNJ at Christopher Newport - 1:00 pm
Montclair at Rowan - 1:00 pm
Southern Virginia at William Paterson - 1:00 pm
Oh Captain, My Captain
A foursome of Frostburg players will serve as team captains for Saturday's Senior Day matchup with Kean: senior offensive linemen Jake Townsend and Christian Walsh, senior defensive back Dante Chinnery and senior defensive tackle Niles Scott.
NJAC Preseason Poll
The NJAC released the 2017 Preseason Coaches Poll in early August and Frostburg State was picked to finish second in the 10-team league. The Bobcats received two first-place votes after being selected as the league's dark horse prior to both the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
Wesley was selected to finish a top the league standings after receiving eight first-place votes. Salisbury sits one spot behind Frostburg in third, followed by Rowan.
Kean, the 2017 dark horse selection, is projected fifth. Christopher Newport, Montclair State, Southern Virginia, William Paterson and TCNJ round out the poll, slotted at the six through ten spots.
Frostburg Football History
Frostburg is in its 57th year of collegiate football in 2017 and the Bobcats have an overall record of 262-280-8. The Bobcats appeared in the 1993 NCAA Playoffs and have played in eight ECAC Bowl Games. The Bobcats capped their 2016 campaign with a 10-1 overall record that included a lopsided 38-14 win over then 22nd-ranked St. John Fisher in the ECAC's Asa S. Bushnell Bowl Game.
The '17 season marks the third year for the Bobcats as a member of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC). It was announced in March 2014 that Frostburg, along with Christopher Newport, Salisbury and Wesley, would become associate members of the NJAC beginning with the 2015 season. Southern Virginia joined the conference a year earlier in 2014.
The NJAC also contains Rowan, Montclair State, The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), William Paterson and Kean.
Prior to the NJAC, the Bobcats competed in the Empire 8 from 2011-14 and the Atlantic Central Football Conference for 12 seasons from 1999-2010, capturing league titles in 1999, 2003 and 2004.
Spreading the Wealth
Frostburg enters Saturday's contest with Kean as the NJAC leader in scoring as it averages 39.9 points per contest and is on pace to set the program record in points in a season.
The Bobcats have scored over 40 points in three games this season, the first team to do so since 1994.
Six different players have scored a rushing touchdown for Frostburg this fall and eight players have hauled in a scoring pass. First-year punt returner Chad Gleason returned a punt 77 yards for a score against TCNJ, first-year linebacker Zach Strand returned a fumble 75 yards for a score against Montclair and senior Jordan Proctor pounced on a loose ball in the end zone for a score in the season opener against Stevenson.
On offense, junior Connor Cox has thrown 20 touchdowns and his favorite traget is classmate Sergio Andino. The tandem has connected on seven touchdowns in the last four weeks.
On the ground, junior Jamaal Morant has rushed for a team-high seven touchdowns, while classmate Grayson Boyce has found the end zone six times.
Third Down Success
The Bobcats have had plenty of success on third down this season on both sides of the ball.
Offensively, the Bobcats lead the NJAC and rank 12th in the nation in third down conversions at 50%, converting 55 of 110 attempts. On defense, Frostburg is allowing opponents to convert just 21.4% (21-98) of their third downs, a mark that leads the NJAC and ranks third in the nation.
Preseason All-American
Bobcat senior defensive tackle Niles Scott has racked up the preseason awards heading into his final season in a Bobcat uniform. Scott received preseason All-American honors from D3football.com, HERO Sports, Street & Smith's and Lindy's Sports. He capped his junior campaign ranked 47th in the country in TFLs (1.6) and 49th in sacks (0.82).
Through eight games this season, Scott is tenth in the nation in sacks (1.13) and 31st in DIII in tackles for loss (1.7).
Scott is second on the roster with 38 total tackles to go along with 13.5 TFL's, 9.0 sacks and a blocked kick.
On the Defensive
Through eight games this season, Frostburg has held its opponents to 519 rushing yards on 241 carries, a 2.1 yard per carry average. The Bobcats lead the conference in rushing defense, holding two opponents to negative yardage this fall while allowing just one rushing touchdown on 241 rushing attempts. Aside from Wesley rushing for 195 yards and Southern Virginia's 151 rushing yards, the Bobcats have held the other six opponents to under 100 yards per game.
